Fuse holder



Aug. 1934.

w. c. EDWARDS FUSE HOLDER 26 Jay. 1

INVENTOR William 61 Edwards BY W M Y 7'51 ATTORN EYS Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor, by mesne assignments,

to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application February 10, 1933, Serial No. 656,081

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fuse holders and more particularly to a device adapted to be used in electric wiring for motor vehicles.

, One of the objects of the present invention is 6 the provision of a fuse holder including a strong protecting case for the fuse which may be interposed or connected in a lead wire and suspended therefrom. I

Another object of the present invention is the 10 provision of a fuse holder which may be quickly andreadily assembled for enclosing the fuse but at the same time provide means whereby the fuse holder can be quickly disassembled, and in which the fuse may be readily changed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of supporting the fuse within the housing so as to insulate the fuse from the housing to prevent grounding.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the fuse holder.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 20 represents a hollow metallic container or housing comprising a socket member 21 adapted to fit telescopically over a plug member 22. Projections 24, disposed diametrically opposite each other are formed by shearing portions of the wall of the plug 22 and rolled back. The projections cooperate with slots 26 provided by the socket 21, the projections 24 and slots 26 forming a bayonet joint, so that the socket may be interlocked with the plug to form a chamber 27. Within the chamber 2'! there are two insulating bushings 28- and 28a having a sliding fit within the socket 21. The bushings are provided with recesses 29 adapted to receive end caps or terminals 3030 of a suitable fuse 31.

The terminals 3030 are adapted to extend into the recesses 29 and engage contacts 32--32 located in the bottom of the recesses of their respective bushings. The contacts 32 are electrically connected with bared end portions of a severed conductor 33 threaded through their respective bushings 28 and 28a and pass through openings provided by substantially closed ends 38 and 39 of the socket and plug 21 and 22, respectively.

The fuse terminals 30-30 are retained in their respective recesses 29 of the bushings 28 and 28a by a coiled spring 35 interposed between the bushings 28 and the partially closed end 38 of the socket 21. The spring is protected from-current flow by having one end engaging an insulating washer 37 adjacent the partially closed end 38, of the socket 21, while the other end of the spring surrounds a reduced portion 40 of the bushing 28 and engaging a shoulder 41 provided thereby. The bushing 28a, it will be noted, has its shoulder 41 engaging the end of the plug 22 so that when the housing parts 21 and 22 are to be interlocked with each other, the plug 22 will contact with the shoulder 41 of the bushing 28a and force elements, 28a, 31 and 28 when in proper position with respect to each other to the left, as viewed in the drawing, compressing the spring 35. When the socket and plug are interlocked with each other, the springs urge the elements to the right to maintain the shoulder 41 of the bushing 28 against the plug 22 so as to limit the movement of the elements 28, 31 and 28a in one direction. By this means the fuse will be firmly held within the recesses 29, and a goodelectrical connection is established between the cap members 30-30 and the contacts 32. It will also be observed that the cap members 3030 extend a substantial distance within their respective recesses in order to properly locate the fuse with respect to the contacts 3232 and to insulate the fuse caps from the metallic socket 21 in order to prevent short circuiting between the caps 30+-30 and the socket.

With the various parts constructed and assembled in the manner above described it is apparent that a very compact and reliable fuse holder is available and one that may be manufactured at very low cost. The fuse itself is yieldingly and securely incased and protected from short circults and from accidental injury caused by severe jars or road shocks. It will also be apparent that a new fuse may be quickly and readily inserted within the holder should a fuse become blown.

The application of the invention has the advantage of permitting the insertion of the fuse holder in a wiring system without disconnecting any of the wires of the system. This may be -ac complished by severing a conducting wire and then threading the insulated portion of the conductor through the openings provided by the end walls 38 and 39 of the socket and plug, respectively, then passing bared end portions through the bushings 28 and 28a and depositing a drop of solder upon the bared ends to form a contact that will rest in the bottom of the recesses 29 of the bushings. In other respects this construction has all the advantages and conveniences of that disclosed in the drawing.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a connecting device for electric conductors, the combination comprising; a metallic hollow member; a removable fuse within said member; a pair of insulating members movable within the hollow members and provided with recesses for receiving the ends of said fuse; a conductor movably supported by each of the insulating members and adapted to engage one end of the fuse; and yielding means insulated from the conducting means and cooperating with one of said insulating members for holding the fuse and conductors in electrical connection and holding the hollow members in interlock relation.

2. In means for removably mounting a fuse in the circuit of an electric conductor, the combination comprising, a pair of tubular metallic members having interlocking engagement with each other to form a hollow container; a replaceable fuse having a contact at each end thereof and insertable in the hollow portion of the container; cup-shaped members for insulatingly supporting said fuse from the container; current conducting means slidably supported by the cup-members and engageable with the contacts of the fuse; and yielding means insulated from said conducting means actuating one of said cup-members for holding said fuse and conducting means in electrical connection and the tubular members in looking engagement.

3. In a fuse holder, the combination comprising; a metallic housing comprising, a pair of separable interlocked tubular members, each provided with stop means; a replaceable fuse; insulating bushings provided with conical recesses and external shoulders, said recesses receiving the end portions of the fuse and to insulate the fuse from the housing and one of said shoulders engaging an end of one of said tubular members, each of the bushings slidably supporting a contact connected to respective separated portions of a conductor and adapted to be connected with the ends of the fuse; and a spring insulated from said conducting means between the stop means of one of the interlocked members and the shoulder of one of said bushings whereby the fuse and contacts are held in electrical connection and the tubular members in an interlock relation.

4. In a fuse holder, the combination comprising; a metallic housing including, a tubular member adapted to fit telescopically over a second tubular member to form a chamber: a replaceable fuse having terminals at the ends thereof and insertable in said chamber; insulating bushings adapted to be moved axially within said chamber for supporting said fuse axially therein; contact member carried by said bushings in abutting reation to said fuse terminals; current conducting means slidably supported in said bushings and connected with said contacts; and yielding means insulated from the conducting means urging said contacts and fuse terminals in electrical connection and preventing a short circuit between the fuse terminal and the housing and to hold said tubular members in an interlock relation.

5. A fuse holder comprising an assembly of parts adapted to be moved relative to each other, said assembly including, a tubular member adapted to fit telescopically over a second tubular member to form a hollow chamber; a replaceable fuse having terminals at the ends thereof and movable within said chamber; insulating bushings adapted to move axially within said chamber for supporting said fuse axially therein; a conductor extending into each tubular member and into one of the bushings, each conductor provided with contact means engaging an end of said fuse, said conductors adapted to move axially relative to their respective tubular members and bushings; and a spring insulated from one of said conductors for holding the contacting means in engagement with the ends of the fuse and for holding the tubular member in an interlocked relation.

6. In means for removably mounting a fuse in a circuit of an electrical conductor, the combination comprising, a metallic cup-shaped member adapted to fit telescopically over a second metallic cup-shaped member to form a chamber, said members having a bayonet joint between said members whereby one of said members can be secured by turning it after it has been positioned on the other member; a replaceable fuse having a contact at each end thereof and insertable in the chamber; bushings for insulatingly supporting said fuse from the cup-shaped member, said bushing adapted to move axially within said chamber; current conducting means extending into the cup-members and into the bushings, each conducting means provided at its inner end within the chamber with a contact head engaging an end of the fuse, said conducting means adapted to move axially with respect to its respective cup-shaped member and bushing; and resilient means cooperating with one of said bushings for holding said fuse ends and contacts in electrical connection, and said resilient means holding said tubular members in a locking relation.

WILLIAM CORRELL EDWARDS. 

